1. Field of the Invention
This generally takes the form of different baffling and path diversion means for the discharge gases in order to effect their throttling and other interference of progress of the sound whereby the gases and sound are muffled.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art patents insofar as they are known to applicant at this time are set forth below.
U.S. Pat. No. 916,885 to H. P. Maxim utilizes a rectangular casing attached to the muzzle of the weapon and containing a series of chambers with vanes to give the gases a circular motion in succession. The centrifical motion dissapates the energy, reducing pressure and noise until they escape from the last chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 958,934 to H. P. Maxim is an improvement on his previous patent. In this he utilizes a series of spreaders which give a rotary motion in each chamber, but includes also inclined baffles which direct gases back towards the projectile path to collide with the gases from the centrifical core. He employs an eccentric entrance to the silencer also forcing gases to one side instead of folowing the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,017,003 to C. H. Kenney utilizes a cylindrical tube with a plurality of cup-shaped discs with conical central portion in line facing the gases coming from the muzzle. Some of the gases pass through the central opening and others are diverted backwards and then forward to an expansion chamber near the outlet. It utilizes an equalizing chamber for gases at the muzzle end, forming a perforated baffle across the chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,066,898 to W. R. Gray utilizes an expansion chamber at the end adjacent to where his device, which is also a centrifical tube, is fastened to the muzzle. He utilizes an inner tube in which there is a plurality of spirally shaped baffles which divert gases to cylindrical chambers spaced around the outside of the tube and along its length. Gases enter these expansion chambers where they expand and escape through suitable apertures back to the inner tube after pressure has been reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,427,802 to G. A. Woodwin. This utilizes two concentric cylindrical casings with a space in between. It employs baffles in the inner casing and apertures in it comunicating with the outer casing which is closed off at its outer end. The gases are passed through a series of baffles in the inner casing where they are expanded and are directed through the apertures to the outer casing and backwards toward the gun muzzle where they discharge in the opposite direction from the movement of the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,375,617 to R. B. Bourne. In this the cylindrical tube attached to the muzzle leads first to an expansion chamber and then to a series of whirl chambers where the gases are successively given centrifical motion as they expand down through the silencer and on to the opposite end.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,996 to C. H. Faust, Jr. utilizes two concentric cylinders connecting to the muzzle. The inner casing comprises a series of cylindrical wire screens with barrel fittings. The outer casing is perforated. It employs conical baffles along the casing and the space between is filled with flaked asbestos. The gases pass through the asbestos where they are muffled before passing through the perforations in the outer casing to the outside.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,957 to W. E. Ferrine is constructed to reduce recoil as well as noise. The cylindrical device surrounds the barrel which is equipped with ports which lead to volute shaped annular barrels which alternately spin gases in opposite directions as they pass from one to the other and back into the body of the device. The resultant reactive effect is to cut down noise and prevent recoil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,955 to M. L. Werbell uses a cylindrical tube attached to the end of the barrel, as do most the others. The first part of the tube comprises an entry and resonant chamber and the remainder is a series of oppositely wound helical screws with spaces between the members of the helical screws, the spaces communicating with the central opening for the path of the projectile permitting the gases to exit into the helices where they are alternately given rotation in opposite directions as the gases pass down through the tube toward the outlet where there is located a resonant chamber. Such baffling is alleged to minimize the noise before the gases are discharged.
None of the prior art utilizes the method provided by applicant's device which consists of separating the central gas and sound wave flow down through the projectile tube by means of cylindrical and frustro-conical baffles in series. These are so arranged as to divide the flow so that part of the gases and sound waves is deflected outward successively by the conical members passing through holes in them and then reuniting through a cylindrical member to contact the central gas flow after it has been substantially delayed in action and is out of phase with the main flow so that the two flows collide to dampen one another, thus practically eliminating the noise.